Friends of the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art, London [Michael Ayrton (1921-1975), artist and author; David Leder, German textile manufacturer, and his wife Lola Leder, art patrons; Haim Gamzu (1910-1982)]

Publication details:

'held on the 13th April 1948 at the House of Commons.' [London]

£280.00

An interesting document, produced on the eve of the establishment of the State of Israel. Full heading on first page: 'Minutes of the Sixth Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Friends of the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art held on the 13th April 1948 at the House of Commons.' 5pp, foolscap 8vo, on five stapled leaves. Paginated and complete. In fair condition, aged and worn, with first leaf detached. Recorded as present are: 'Mrs Barbara Ayrton-Gould [Michael Ayrton's mother and a Member of Parliament] (Sitting-in for the Chairman) | Mr. J. Isaacs | Mr. Michael Ayrton | Mr.

1p, 12mo. In fair condition, lightly aged and grubby, with three folds. The letter reads: 'Dear Streatfield | it is no use sending me the Score of the Symphony here at present, as I am too busy to look at it properly, besides which, all my Programmes are definitely fixed till the end of the season, but if you will ask Mr. Hinton to send it to me to Hamilton Terrace (54, not 73) after Feby., when I shall be back in town, I shall be pleased to look through it.'

A highly interesting letter from a leading Victorian dramatic critic (Thomas describes himself in the letter as 'For five & twenty years [...] theatrical critic of the Daily news & the Graphic', who has 'served under at least thirteen editors') to a leading actor-manager (Hare was knighted in 1907), on the subject of alleged editorial pressure on Fleet Street's theatre critics. 4pp, 8vo. On four leaves. Aged and worn, but with text complete and clear.

6pp., 12mo, on six leaves. In good condition, lightly aged. He begins by thanking him for his 'most charming letter; and an inspiration to a young man', before commenting: 'Nothing pleases me more than your letters, which occur like intellectual milestones, epitomizing, where we have lately come from and where we are going.' The rest of the letter discusses the recipients use of the Greek word '[daimon]', of which Mond approves. He begins: 'Modern languages hardly have a translation of it.

On letterhead of the Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W. London. 1 December 1869.

£45.00

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'W. H. Allchin Esq'. The 'arrangements for the intended Exhibition of the works of the old Masters have already progressed too far' for 'any further works offered [...] on loan' to be considered for acceptance.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Addressed to 'Mr. F. W. Finch, | Woodbridge Row | Mosley | Birmingham'. He thanks him for his letter and continues: 'I am sorry that you have not been so successful as you wished in collecting autographs, but I hope you will be more fortunate in future.' He is 'engaged in other and equally useful work outside of Parliament', and is 'glad to be freed from its restraints & embarrassments'.

All on letterheads of the Buckingham Palace Hotel [ London ]. All dating from July 1899.

£850.00

A Ukrainian Jew, Haffkine found his early career obstructed by his refusal to convert to the Russian Orthodox Church. He emigrated and worked at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, where he developed an anti-cholera vaccine that he tried out successfully in India. He is recognized as the first microbiologist to develop and use vaccines against cholera and bubonic plague. He tested the vaccines on himself. The three items in good conditon, lightly aged. ONE: ALS. 2pp., 12mo. He has been 'away from town', but now hopes to send 'a note on my work' within the week. 'It wd.

1p., 12mo. In good condition, lightly aged. Reads: 'My dear Mr May - | I am delighted you can come on Saturday. Please let me know the train you come by. Our station is Cheddington. | Yrs sincerely | R.' On May's death the New York Times reported (10 February 1897) that in 1893 he 'suddenly resigned after a mysterious meeting of the Board of Directors, and for several days exciting rumours circulated in London that something was wrong with the finances.

[1] + 22pp., 8vo. On 23 leaves stapled together. In fair condition, aged and worn. The covering page, with title 'THE DISESTABLISHMENT OF SCIENCE | J. Bronowski', carries a synopsis of Bronowski's argument: 'Scientists have a duty to act as the conscience of society by always speaking the truth. They can do that only if they dissociate themselves from the apparatus of state.' Inscription on covering page: 'Eric Roll | - in the hope that you can help me with the unfinished, financial ideas at the end - | Jacob Bronowski 1 Dec 70'.

2pp., 12mo. The last two pages of a letter, numbered 3 and 4. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with short closed tears at edges of central fold. The item begins with part of a sentence regarding 'dramatization in Paris', before turning to Spielmann's desire to have her novel 'The Sterndales of Sterndale House' (1919) filmed. She praises the recipient's 'critical faculty', adding 'The points taken are seldom just the points.' She will let the recipient's 'good opinion' of her be known 'in one or two quarters'.

74pp., 8vo. Stapled duplicated typescript, with pages on rectos only. In fair condition, with moderate signs of age and wear. Light staining at head, and discoloured title-leaf detaching. A few minor manuscript emendations, and '-Debel' added in manuscript to the translator's name. 'La Princesse Americaine' was first performed in 1963, and like Aloni's other early work was influenced by the European Theatre of the Absurd. An English translation of the play appeared in 1980, but OCLC WorldCat has no record of the publication of a French translation.

One page, 4to, pasted to card frame, grubby and stained but text readable and complete. "I confess your offer to be liberal in the extreme - and if [excision] I possibly can,will be with you about the second week in January - I am now interestingly engaged being on the point of marriage with a young lady of this place (Manchester) therefore the excuse of 'being married and can't come' (at least these 2 months) must in this case be valid - Have the goodness to send the agreeement [...] to me at T. Wilson Esq.

Brigadier Sir Edward Henry Lionel Beddington (1884-1966), CMG, DSO, MC, of Anstey Hall, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, recipient of the Military Cross in the First World War

Publication details:

Place not stated. 1960.

£450.00

Beddington's entry in Who Was Who describes his career thus: 'Served European War, 1914-19 (despatches six times, CMG, DSO, MC, Legion of Honour, Commander of Order of Aviz, Order of Sacred Treasure, Bt Major and Lt-Col); served again, 1940-45. DL and JP Hertfordshire; Chairman Herts CC, 1952-58; High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, 1948-49'. And his obituary in The Times, 26 April 1966, reads as follows: 'Brigadier Sir Edward Beddington, C.M.G., D.S.O., M.C., late 16th Lancers, died yesterday at the age of 82. | The son of H. E. Beddington, he was educated at Eton and R.M.C.

On letterhead of New Court, St Swithin's Lane, London, EC4. 7 February 1946.

£180.00

1p., 4to. On aged paper with a couple of closed holes. He is 'very anxious to discuss', with Bilainkin and the Jewish Board of Deputies, 'the Appeal which [...] is in progress on behalf of the Central British Fund for Jewish Relief and Rehabilitation'.

Letter: 1p., 4to. Good, on blue paper. Addressed to 'Dear Gerry', it reads: 'Please accept the enclosed book. I hope you & your family are well & flourishing. We have to soldier on - with some hope in our hearts - despite the molestations of a dark age. | The best there is | [signed] Hugo'. Book: 34 + [i] pp., 8vo. Very good copy; in fair dustwrapper, with slight spotting at head. Limited to 550 copies. Inscribed on half-title 'To Gerald & Anne Long | wishing them peace & all good things | [signed] Hugo Manning | 1976'.

Undated, with 'PHOENIX PRESS | LONDON | W.8 | First published in 1949.' at foot of first page.

£150.00

18pp., in a 16mo notebook. In good condition, in lightly-worn decorative paper boards. The entire volume is in Manning's autograph, with a title-page reading: 'BEYOND THE TERMINUS of STARS | A Sequence | HUGO MANNING | PHOENIX PRESS | LONDON | W.8 | First published in 1949'. Sections I ('What new life stirs in the worst of pain') to VIII ('Many wear masks in this pathological drama:') are copied out complete, and IX ('When the bird of sundown sheds its blood of darkness,') ending with the line 'Graduated in Lisbon at a cabaret for tourists,'. A fair copy, without any apparent revisions.

[Hermann Landau, Jewish banker and philanthropist, and James Moses Alexnder]

Publication details:

29 Feb. 1885.

£265.00

3pp., large folio. Signed by Landau and Alexander. Their agreement was for a business as "Dealers on the Stock Exchange", revealing the investment of both partners, and their terms, covering terms of liquidation etc. Attached: Letter Signed 'Jas M Alexander', to Landau, 26 Feb. 1885 with information about insurance policy on his life. Note: 1885, the year of this agreement, was the year in which the Jews Temporary Shelter was founded, the improved version of which, founded 1886, attracted Landau's benevolence and active support.

On piece of grey wove paper cut into a rough rectangle, 5 x 8 cm. Good, but with light traces of glue from previous mounting on reverse. Reads '<...> | I have honour to remain | Dear Sir | Yr obt. & hble. Servt | F. Palgrave', with the flourish to the 't' of 'Servt' forming the top horizontal stroke to the 'F.' in Palgrave's signature. Reverse reads '<...> | In conformity <...> | my letter to you <...> | July last, I requir<...> | my name may be <...>'.

In three columns of small type on one side of a piece of unwatermarked wove paper, dimensions 39.5 x 29 cm. Text clear and complete, on aged and lightly creased paper. Four short closed tears at the extremities of folds. An unusual production, docketed in pencil in a contemporary hand at the head: 'These letters were written by Baker, Consul out in the Principalities & a great protege of Gladstone'. Begins 'We have been favoured with a copy of a remarkable letter addressed to the Premier by an old friend of his father's.

'Alfred Savoir' (1883-1934, pen name of Alfred Poznanski), French dramatist and editor of Polish/jewish extraction

Publication details:

Paris, 37 rue Bassano; date not stated.

£75.00

One page, quarto. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper, with strip from mount adhering to right-hand margin. He is pleased to be of assistance to General Ponsonby and his officers, and is happy to agree to the authorisation for Banso, as far as it concerns him. His English rights have been purchased by Curtis & Brown of London, to whom application must be made. He does not think they will ask for any remuneration. Asks the recipient to pass on his respects to the general, and in a postscript wonders whether he can tell him a good story concerning a lion hunt.

One page, 4to, arsing from his choice of items for his edition of Thackeray's works which Spielmann considers "indiscreet" because of their anti-Catholic posture, "but I believe not one in a hundred will read the minor items. The 'Jew' passages touch nearer home. But these are not in 'Punch' but embedded in stories."